Why Was the WannaCry Attack Such a Big Deal?

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  • Опубліковано 25 тра 2017
  • On Friday, May 12th, 2017, the ransomware program WannaCry started spreading to computers all over the world at an alarming rate. A couple days later, it was basically completely contained with very little damage done. So what happened?
    Hosted by: Hank Green
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    Sources:
    www.cnet.com/news/wannacry-wa...
    www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-wa...
    www.cnet.com/news/ransomware-...
    www.symantec.com/connect/blog...
    technet.microsoft.com/en-us/l...
    www.wired.com/2017/05/acciden...
    arstechnica.com/security/2017...
    money.cnn.com/2017/05/16/techn...
    www.elliptic.co/wannacry/
    www.ft.com/content/fa5ed73a-3...
    www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-...
    www.theverge.com/2017/5/14/15...
    www.wired.com/2017/05/wannacr...

КОМЕНТАРІ • 1,5 тис.

  • @thesuckysix4242
    @thesuckysix4242 7 років тому +714

    Can we discuss for a moment that our hero was doxed by british tabloids? Real shitty way to treat someone who prevented extreme infrastructure damages.

    • @naskoBG26
      @naskoBG26 7 років тому +26

      Anyone that cared about the anonymous guy's identity could've looked up who's the owner of the domain... Yeah it's shitty they didn't respect his wish. But it's not like it was that hard to find his identity either, since it was basically public.

    • @Bird_Dog00
      @Bird_Dog00 7 років тому +44

      That surprises you? News media - and tabloids in particular - would sell their own mother for a few readers more.
      Though the public isn't blameless. For years - or even decades, "serious" news outletts have strugled to make a buck with waining subscriptions. The level of journalism has droped as readers flock to "free" ad-based formats that use click-bait sensationalism to generate traffic.
      The reasons for this development are many and complex, so I won't go further into detail (hell, I think I could make a plausible argument for how the modern economy - and the industry in particular - is in part to be blamed for this).

    • @nursejennyk40
      @nursejennyk40 7 років тому +5

      Bird_Dog it can be dumbed down to
      Subscription news- accurate but directly costs users
      Ad based- grumpy little chucks who will do anything for views

    • @thesuckysix4242
      @thesuckysix4242 7 років тому +57

      They didn't "Just look him up", they blackmailed several people he was familiar with to get all the information they could on him.

    • @perfildeLalo
      @perfildeLalo 7 років тому +14

      Whether you can find it easily or not doesn't mean it's alright to write an article and publish it for all to see.

  • @AnotherGenericGamingChannel
    @AnotherGenericGamingChannel 7 років тому +731

    The guy who stopped it wasn't anonymous for long. He tweeted about how tabloids doxed his friends and blackmailed them to get his address, phone number etc. He said it was the worst experience of his life

    • @CrispyChicken44
      @CrispyChicken44 7 років тому +132

      Jebus Gaming Journalism at it's finest.

    • @idkidk8884
      @idkidk8884 6 років тому +1

      Do you know his twitter?

    • @alexisleftist778
      @alexisleftist778 5 років тому +17

      Tabloid owners and journalists should be shot lol

    • @jerm8319
      @jerm8319 4 роки тому +7

      Justin Craig I know this is hella late but doxing someone means to release someone’s personal information without their consent

    • @Cherry_Meatloaf
      @Cherry_Meatloaf 3 роки тому +7

      @@idkidk8884 his name is Marcus Hutchins

  • @porteal8986
    @porteal8986 7 років тому +359

    adding that kill switch is like mad scientist putting a big self destruct button on a giant evil robot

    • @jerrycan1756
      @jerrycan1756 6 років тому +18

      It was supposed to make it harder to analyze, the idea being that in a quarantined machine, registering the domain within the quarantine would kill the sample. Unfortunately for the hacker, the guy analyzing it did not have his sample quarantined.

    • @furinick
      @furinick 6 років тому +25

      And the button is in its foot

    • @bentton7311
      @bentton7311 5 років тому +27

      phineas and ferb anyone?

    • @jamie-ov4dp
      @jamie-ov4dp 5 років тому +4

      god dammit I was going to make a comment on that phineas and ferb reference but you people beat me to it :U

    • @baulvicork5199
      @baulvicork5199 3 роки тому +2

      Doofinshmertiz

  • @baconpopcorn2565
    @baconpopcorn2565 7 років тому +171

    Microsoft should have said in the update "NSA did a goof, now there's a gaping hole in your security and this update fixes it."

  • @Imbedersup
    @Imbedersup 7 років тому +2212

    "Cyber-security whack-a-mole." Made my night.

    • @n124lp
      @n124lp 7 років тому +38

      There are many ways in which cybersecurity is a game of Whack-a-Mole.

    • @watsoncole8908
      @watsoncole8908 7 років тому +4

      823 likes WOW!

    • @playinetgames
      @playinetgames 6 років тому +5

      You'd be surprised how often that sort of thing pops up in computer science as a whole.

    • @sampletext8036
      @sampletext8036 6 років тому +2

      Shadow *BROKERS*
      Definitely not English speaking.. so maybe Russian.

    • @liammccauslin912
      @liammccauslin912 5 років тому

      kill-a-viris

  • @cosmicjenny4508
    @cosmicjenny4508 7 років тому +98

    "What operating system does it use?"
    "It's... erm... Vista!"
    "WE'RE GOING TO DIE!"

  • @Kajayacht
    @Kajayacht 5 років тому +88

    I remember when WannaCry hit, I was doing contracted dev work for Telefonica, and they were a real pain to deal with. Got the week off work, 10/10 would recommend.

    • @pcption
      @pcption 3 роки тому +1

      love this.

  • @the11382
    @the11382 7 років тому +94

    "Having a kill switch is an amateur mistake": Viruses are usually things you have no control over, releasing a virus is a risk for your own computer as well.

  • @TylerMatthewHarris
    @TylerMatthewHarris 7 років тому +178

    the vast majority of affected users were using Windows 7

    • @PistonAvatarGuy
      @PistonAvatarGuy 7 років тому +41

      Windows is nothing but spyware, the NSA is massively ineffective, and now they're actually creating security risks. This is what having a bloated military budget does for you.

    • @rjfaber1991
      @rjfaber1991 7 років тому +26

      Yes, unpatched Windows 7.

    • @ag4ve
      @ag4ve 7 років тому +2

      Correct - I've heard multiple people say (fb friends who do IR) that it's hard to get xp infected before it crashes.

    • @ag4ve
      @ag4ve 7 років тому +2

      I really think (a week after the attack) something this simple should've been caught pretty early in the writing process.

    • @bdorsey19
      @bdorsey19 3 роки тому

      Glad I stopped using it lol

  • @Blabla130
    @Blabla130 7 років тому +532

    Here's the thing though, when software companies consistently release patches or updates that make the software worse for end users, like adding more advertising, placing additional restrictions, changing UI, or generaly pushing unwanted "features" (I'm looking at you, Skype), I can't say I totally blame people for being reluctant to update.

    • @Charmlethehedgehog
      @Charmlethehedgehog 7 років тому +33

      "This is like SKYPE, every time they fix something, SOMETHING ELSE BREAKS!" -Kiandymundi (I totally understand skype's gone down hill :/)

    • @Spartan0430
      @Spartan0430 7 років тому +30

      i remember a skype update that was so bad that it was just using up 90% of my CPU for no reason.

    • @sirBrouwer
      @sirBrouwer 7 років тому +11

      Blabla130 then advice companies to use Unix software i use ubuntu and for all the years that I do i never had problems with any computer.

    • @DharmaJannyter
      @DharmaJannyter 7 років тому +15

      You can opt to install only security updates.

    • @mwbgaming28
      @mwbgaming28 7 років тому +39

      Blabla130
      especially the old trick with Microsoft hiding a windows 10 pop-up ad generator in a windows 7 security update and they lied about it until someone showed a demonstration on UA-cam and posted it to Microsoft's forums

  • @ShamelessJack
    @ShamelessJack 7 років тому +301

    Seems obvious to me that NSA should pay for this, and then some. Teach them to snoop around.

    • @childeater7327
      @childeater7327 6 років тому +17

      Shameless Jack snooping kind of is the nsas job

    • @Kr4zYm0f0
      @Kr4zYm0f0 6 років тому +4

      USA should pay for it.

    • @phunkyphresh3799
      @phunkyphresh3799 6 років тому +1

      Should the DoD pay for any damages from Chinese and other militaries that are able to copy or make use of US designs? Or should we stop building to air crafts?
      Every other country gets advantages of snooping on other countries. Unless you want to cripple our military, empower enemies who still use spies, etc. the NSA should be allowed to keep looking into technical weaknesses to exploit. Because if you're willing to shoot artillery shells at our enemies and potentially have guns fall into hands of our enemies, why not allow our military to use cyber weapons?
      Otherwise, just ban the use of m16's then because they'll fall into the hands of bad guys too much.

    • @ghost_ship_supreme
      @ghost_ship_supreme 6 років тому +5

      I think I we should have the hackers heads on a stick, they're the ones who remade it into a virus.

    • @bulletl187
      @bulletl187 6 років тому +1

      Why should they pay for it? If you see a gun on the street and you don’t take/use it, would it be your fault? No
      could you prevent it? Yes!
      Do you have to? No, you owe nobody something

  • @lancester8634
    @lancester8634 7 років тому +194

    Or, was it Microsoft saying "Hey, Update or else!!!"

    • @RKthehedgehog
      @RKthehedgehog 6 років тому +3

      Boberdown Annon Also, "internet files that decrypt as long as you haven't reboot". Not only does that sounds suspicious but also completely useless because WannaCry encrypted files are 100% unrecoverable and you MUST reboot in order to activate Safe Mode to remove WannaCry.

    • @Llama-cx3np
      @Llama-cx3np 6 років тому

      Subaru? Do you work for Microsoft you seem to know alot about computers

    • @universenerdd
      @universenerdd 3 роки тому

      @@RKthehedgehog no, the encryption keys are stored in memory, they fetch that from memory and rely on the fact that it is still there, you don't know what your talking about

    • @gamerhurley
      @gamerhurley 3 роки тому

      @@universenerdd we have the same pfp what a chance

  • @wlfshertz4362
    @wlfshertz4362 7 років тому +1133

    Just want to say this....Love you scishow :)

    • @mimsie496
      @mimsie496 7 років тому +3

      Sara Huang army!

    • @bassamn4276
      @bassamn4276 7 років тому +5

      Lesson learned: always update your OS and if you're using XP this was a harsh lesson :) I bet Microsoft is going to make more money than the "Hackers" by selling a lot of Windows 10

    • @vybezD
      @vybezD 7 років тому +10

      Bassam N plot twist: Microsoft was behind it all along.

    • @dylantruong897
      @dylantruong897 7 років тому +1

      John too.

    • @spartan99947
      @spartan99947 7 років тому +1

      Microsoft released a patch on march so they are definitely not behind it

  • @thorerik
    @thorerik 7 років тому +24

    XP wasn't among the infected computers, the only confirmed infections of XP was researchers infecting it by hand. Windows 7 was the main infected OS.
    As for the "kill switch" it's most likely a sandbox detection thing, not a killswitch, but it was badly implemented.

  • @hatty7090
    @hatty7090 7 років тому +8

    And I just clicked "later" on an update as this video was starting 😂

  • @bitcores
    @bitcores 7 років тому +35

    The killswitch exists because in a lot of virtual machines unregistered domain names will return an IP address (and unused local network IP address) so it is used as a method of detecting if the malware has infected a VM system, which is usually not worth encrypting for ransom.

  • @RandallStephens397
    @RandallStephens397 7 років тому +167

    I love the portrayal of the ransom payment system here--it assumes the hacker actually intended to restore anyone's files after they paid.

    • @theVoluminousPoo
      @theVoluminousPoo 7 років тому +24

      Randall Stephens Hence the part where he mentioned there was no reliable way to get files back to those ransomed and many infected that paid did not see restoration.

    • @rjfaber1991
      @rjfaber1991 7 років тому +27

      True, but that's not such an odd assumption; past ransomware attacks typically have resulted in people's files getting decrypted upon payment. Why the hackers bothered is frankly beyond me, but it does make the fact they didn't bother with WannaCry at least slightly notable.

    • @LeezShadowbringer
      @LeezShadowbringer 7 років тому +6

      Robert Faber probably to give people a reason to actually pay up

    • @antalz
      @antalz 7 років тому +10

      Becaise they might consider making more ransomware. If you don't provide decryption your first hit will also be your last.

    • @oskarjankowski5709
      @oskarjankowski5709 7 років тому

      what I was gonna say

  • @pies765
    @pies765 7 років тому +56

    This has already probably been said, but the prevailing theory on why the kill switch domain was in the code was to make it harder for people to analyse the virus. A general practice in malware analysis is to put the virus in an environment where it cannot do much harm or get out. These environments also usually just respond to any requests the program makes with fake data, so it thinks it is getting out but it is not. The kill switch worked by the thought that if it gets anything back from the fake website, it must be due to it being studied. Obviously this did not work as planned, but that at least says what they wanted to do.

    • @jaykoerner
      @jaykoerner 7 років тому

      Ryaji-San thats the therory, the thing is the best practice for that is for the malware to generate a completely random url(a random string of characters has almost no chance of being used),
      the environment that the malware is trying to figure out if it is specifically is a virtual machine, the reason being is that it is much easier to study and view what it does, get memory snapshots ect...
      one of the common things vm's do is reply that a domain is registered when it isn't since its just forwarding agent to the real computer,
      other common practices for finding out if you are in a vm or protecting from study is if the cpu is less then or equal to 2 and stop running or just armoring the malware, using memory obfuscation, code obfuscation, messing with the memory table so that memory snapshots can not be analyzed, the list goes on....

    • @wolfegalvin1685
      @wolfegalvin1685 7 років тому +2

      or maybe they have a killswitch just so that it can be stopped incase things really got outa hand.

    • @pies765
      @pies765 7 років тому +3

      Wolfe Galvin I mean, I don't see how it could get out of hand, it's purpose is to spread as much as possible. So getting huge and fast is kind of the point.

    • @jaykoerner
      @jaykoerner 7 років тому

      Wolfe Galvin it can't be known if thats why, but if so they would normally use C&C servers to do such things, you are already breaking the law and blackmailing people, why would you care

    • @jaykoerner
      @jaykoerner 7 років тому

      Ryaji-San yep, thats basically the point of this stuff, and if they wanted to stop it or update the malware they would just send patches from the command and control server like most malware does

  • @muneebmuzammal3987
    @muneebmuzammal3987 3 роки тому

    Watched many videos on the WannaCry attack but this one is the best and concise video available on the whole youtube!

  • @pokefreak3
    @pokefreak3 7 років тому +13

    Shadow brokers? Didn't know we were in Mass Effect 2.

  • @SheosMan117
    @SheosMan117 7 років тому +94

    Wait, Shadow Brokers? You mean, Mass Effect's most infamous information trader is real?

    • @screamsofthedead
      @screamsofthedead 7 років тому +18

      They wish they were that cool.

    • @thesuckysix4242
      @thesuckysix4242 7 років тому +3

      Well, they serve a very important purpose. I think they're much cooler than fictional orginazations if they're doing the same things IRL.

    • @unclevivid9028
      @unclevivid9028 7 років тому +12

      SheosMan117 information trading is one of the oldest and most lucrative business to ever exist. And shadow broker is a cool af name but also kind of teenage edgy

    • @thesuckysix4242
      @thesuckysix4242 7 років тому +7

      DEEPKNOWERS
      DARKSEERS
      NIGHTSNOOPERS

    • @cpob2013
      @cpob2013 7 років тому +1

      well, it IS just a title passed down

  • @beojack4592
    @beojack4592 7 років тому +454

    I'm 25th! I'm so happy I wannacry
    edit: by 25th I meant 25th comment btw but I appreciate the birthday well wishes. I'll try to remember them when I turn 25.

  • @cliffsidekiller
    @cliffsidekiller 7 років тому +2

    For anyone wondering, the suspected reason for the inclusion of a killswitch was an attempt to delay people trying to crack Wannacry's code. From what I have read, when the virus is loaded into a simulator, the gibberish URL would read as registered and then immediately pull out of that system so that the virus could not be "tested". However, since they hardcoded the URL, it was much simpler to just register that URL so that it would keep pulling out of any system it infects.

  • @saidag
    @saidag 7 років тому +3

    I always update and backup almost everything I have on my PC.
    Gotta keep my memes safe!

  • @sleepydrifter4667
    @sleepydrifter4667 7 років тому +85

    seems like wanna cry was a distraction, but could've been something a lot more... troublesome.

    • @almerakbar
      @almerakbar 7 років тому

      Sleepy Drifter A distraction from what though?

    • @PistonAvatarGuy
      @PistonAvatarGuy 7 років тому +28

      I doubt it, it should be a wake up call to everyone. People need to realize that the NSA isn't making them safer, it's putting them at risk.

    • @ThreadBomb
      @ThreadBomb 7 років тому

      EternalRocks looks to be harmless.
      www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/author-of-eternalrocks-smb-worm-calls-it-quits-after-intense-media-coverage

    • @Wielkimati
      @Wielkimati 7 років тому

      Heh, this incident only shows that something simillar may be happening right now. And we don't know it yet.

  • @Brodym2433
    @Brodym2433 7 років тому +39

    thx for another gr8 vid john green

  • @rakastettu2237
    @rakastettu2237 2 роки тому +1

    I'm late to watching this video, but I just wanted to comment and say thank you for the explanation that was easy to understand. I don't know much about computers, but you explained this in a way that I could grasp.

  • @Kaihlik
    @Kaihlik 7 років тому +1

    I was reading on Ars Technica that Xp wasn't an infection vector for the attack because in XP the attack on the SMB caused the system to crash before the files could be encrypted. This overwhelmingly affected windows 7. 10 was never vulnerable to the SMB issue afaik.

  • @sent4dc
    @sent4dc 7 років тому +6

    It was actually not entirely true. The number of Windows XP computers affected by WCry was very very low. It would simply BSOD on them. The bulk of affected computers were running Windows 7 x64 bit.

  • @csbluechip
    @csbluechip 7 років тому +17

    it is well known why the "kill switch" existed - for vm detection ...and the hackers made $0 from the attack because the bitcions are NOT anonymous

  • @BurkeLCH
    @BurkeLCH 7 років тому

    Thanks for the upload

  • @raquelames6262
    @raquelames6262 7 років тому +2

    A small hospital near me had to pay the ransom (something like $40,000 USD) because they had no backups they had no choice but to pay

  • @jfdd43
    @jfdd43 7 років тому +4

    The kill switch system makes sense. They can set up a their local networks to lead to a 'intranet' page whenever that URL is entered from within it. They might have been scared of accidentally infecting themself

  • @Master_Ed
    @Master_Ed 3 роки тому +3

    To be honest, the only reason I don't update is because sometimes new things are added and maybe new filters on the screen or something is added which I don't want and can't remove. So updating to protect myself from a virus is not worth it if my computer is going to be near unusable in the first place.

  • @westonholmes9503
    @westonholmes9503 2 роки тому

    i love this dude taught me chemistry on youtube.... great teacher

  • @shrimpbisque
    @shrimpbisque 6 років тому +2

    Thank you, SciShow, for reminding me to update my backups. I'll have to get on that tomorrow.

    • @dashie6498
      @dashie6498 2 роки тому

      did you update them yet?

    • @mukulsharma5738
      @mukulsharma5738 2 роки тому

      did you do it ?? we would like to know !!

  • @mwbgaming28
    @mwbgaming28 7 років тому +17

    I wouldn't mind updating if Microsoft didn't hide windows 10 ad generators or spyware programs in the updates

    • @mwbgaming28
      @mwbgaming28 7 років тому

      my windows 7 PC has a windows 10 ad generator that snuck in with a security update
      my laptop with windows 10 is full of microsoft spyware because i wont pay $900 for the enterprise version
      why does the enterprise version of wndows 10 have no ads, no spyware and being able to set updates to manual installation but the home and pro version are both loaded with spyware and ads in addition to the auto restart to install updates (even if you are using the computer)

  • @glorvalmacglorvas171
    @glorvalmacglorvas171 7 років тому +37

    Maybe this was a test?...

    • @BeesQuestionMarkk
      @BeesQuestionMarkk 7 років тому +21

      Glorval MacGlorvas
      Nah. Just a lucky hacker group in Russia that had no clue how to manage ransomware.

    • @albertzhang5699
      @albertzhang5699 7 років тому +1

      why purposely put in a kill switch though? Seems odd. Not that they forgot to remove a kill switch, they **put in** a kill switch

    • @glorvalmacglorvas171
      @glorvalmacglorvas171 7 років тому +4

      Exactly why I think it was a test, they wouldve included the kill switch to turn it off if it got out of hand.

    • @pauldeddens5349
      @pauldeddens5349 7 років тому

      wouldnt the test getting out of hand BE what they want?

    • @pies765
      @pies765 7 років тому +8

      The kill switch was a misguided attempt at slowing down analysis. The environments we use would respond to that request, so they used this to tip the program off to the fact that it was being studied.

  • @Lotharies
    @Lotharies 7 років тому

    thank you for making this

  • @QuinSkew
    @QuinSkew 7 років тому +2

    Who knew having my PC disconnected saved me from this ransomware

  • @ComputersRULE
    @ComputersRULE 7 років тому +7

    If the NSA used the exploit, then when it was leaked why didn't they use their resources and update all the machines vulnerable. It's a national agency, they do unconstitutional stuff all the time anyway.

    • @EvelynDayless
      @EvelynDayless 7 років тому +9

      NSA's job is to gather intelligence on foreign countries not make sure you're keeping your operating system up to date.

    • @_MythicalWolf
      @_MythicalWolf 7 років тому

      So why are they looking into OUR computers rather then keeping it's citizens safe in the first place

    • @ComputersRULE
      @ComputersRULE 7 років тому

      Because the government can't trust it's own citizens.

    • @EvelynDayless
      @EvelynDayless 7 років тому

      Without a warrant they generally don't look into your computer, even with a warrant that's the FBI's job usually. NSA is far more concerned about the computer traffic in Russia and the middle east and how to exploit North Korean nuclear test equipment/computers than they are about your porn collection.

    • @ComputersRULE
      @ComputersRULE 7 років тому

      Red Star Linux was a disaster, they probably have a foothold in that already.

  • @august-5085
    @august-5085 7 років тому +17

    shadow brokers? Mass Effect, anyone?

  • @jordanmartin6700
    @jordanmartin6700 7 років тому

    Thanks again Hank!

  • @kevinpenafiel8639
    @kevinpenafiel8639 2 роки тому

    THANK YOU SO MUCH! im doing presentation on this soon and this explained everything so much better

  • @Zoren364
    @Zoren364 6 років тому +3

    2:19 bruh

  • @glorvalmacglorvas171
    @glorvalmacglorvas171 7 років тому +136

    If someone infects one of my computers with ransom wear, I will just restore one of my older computers in the 3x3x3 computer block of computers behind me...

    • @glorvalmacglorvas171
      @glorvalmacglorvas171 7 років тому +9

      UA-cams at it again, sending me an email for someone to replying to this but not showing it when I open this. Time to answer it anyway. There is only 2 computers on this network, that block is not plugged in. They are unused. So I would just pull out the two infected computers, and then just replace them after updating all software.

    • @MrGeekGamer
      @MrGeekGamer 7 років тому +15

      Or just backup your files you troglodyte.

    • @yourbrother7835
      @yourbrother7835 7 років тому +2

      MrGeekGamer Troglodyte?

    • @TheBuddyPal
      @TheBuddyPal 7 років тому +11

      Troglodyte basically means caveman.

    • @rancesuperking8731
      @rancesuperking8731 7 років тому +5

      CreamyGravy Ironically used by basement dwellers who could be seen as modern day cavemen

  • @LeoMRogers
    @LeoMRogers 7 років тому +1

    The kill switch was probably a way for the malware to detect if it was being studied in a lab. This is quite common, malware writers often try to make it so that their malware will behave differently when it is being studied (ie, debugging software, virtual machines etc).

  • @DemonicDemon6
    @DemonicDemon6 4 роки тому +2

    Wannacry was actually somewhat kind to people. They were like in 6 moths they will have an event where you can get your files back if your to poor to buy them back.

  • @Shovlaxnet
    @Shovlaxnet 6 років тому +5

    3:19 You're welcome in advance.

  • @claytonharting9899
    @claytonharting9899 7 років тому +7

    Windows updates tend to break the OS. I'm never eager to update. EVER.

  • @JennAlessa
    @JennAlessa 7 років тому

    Greatly done!

  • @Town159
    @Town159 7 років тому

    The hospital I work in didn't get infected as we use Windows 7 but we shut everything down as a precaution, that caused chaos as we're one of a few NHS trusts to be completely electronic. The hospital I worked in last year got infected as they use operating systems/programs from the late 80's/early 90's in some instances!

  • @BazookaTooth707
    @BazookaTooth707 7 років тому +11

    We should be mad at the NSA

  • @LazerLord10
    @LazerLord10 7 років тому +10

    Lol, it seems like everyone forgets Win8. Still my favorite operating system. After a few slight mods, it runs way better than 7 or 10.

  • @DK-dc8sl
    @DK-dc8sl 7 років тому

    SCISHOW!!!! you always make my day.

  • @osotanuki3359
    @osotanuki3359 6 років тому

    I'm pretty sure I've only not heard of this because I don't use windows, one main reason is that it's just like "ok, time to update, I'm closing your stuff, bye, see ya in an hour or two!" And you can't stop it

  • @kamrankazemi-far6420
    @kamrankazemi-far6420 7 років тому +5

    And this is a clear example of why businesses should update there systems.

  • @vkillion
    @vkillion 7 років тому +4

    There are a few problems with this video. Windows 10 was never in danger. The exploit didn't exist on Windows 10. Also, a security patch (the first in 3 years) was released for Windows XP, despite being out of support. WannaCrypt affected Windows XP, 7, 8, and the related server versions, all of which have now received patches (assuming the update has been installed).

    • @vkillion
      @vkillion 7 років тому +1

      I see you listed the patch for XP later in the video, after saying there was no support for Windows XP earlier in the video. Oops.

  • @icedragonair
    @icedragonair 2 роки тому +1

    Mass overhauling an os for a large scale is actually incredibly difficult, because doing it all at once can often leave the whole system down and needing to replace large amounts of things all at once and it takes out the operations for way too long. If trying to do it in parts, the parts of the system are usually interconnected, so taking one part offline to change it basically wrecks anything adjacent that relies on it. We had this issue in a big store chain i worked at. Our inventory system was incredibly inefficient and relied solely on human knowledge. We carried a large array of things from just about everywhere, our inventory was different every single day. And i dont just mean season to season, we basically had no set inventory, think thrift store. So if you needed info on an item, you had to call someone who just knew roughly where it belonged to check the prices. People basically generally knew what types of things we carried and what the price was likely to be and how to estimate one if needed. You gained that knowledge simply by working there long enough to get a feel for how we did things. Obviously this was incredibly inefficient and reliant on competent workers. But to overhaul it would have meant changing absolutely everything. The way we sort, how we scan, all our equipment. It was possible to set it up as automatic for sure, but for an extremely busy store in a worldwide company the effort would have been enormous. Basically they decided that having an inefficient human powered system was still cheaper and less hassle than overhauling it.
    That's the thing, just because there is a better option, doesn't mean its actually more suited. If all you need is to work with word documents, using a supercomputer isnt actually more useful than an old beat lappy. Yeah, you could make dog leashes out of kevlar sting, but nylon is more than enough. In factories many processes could be done by robots, but they still hire just a ton of people to do rote repetitive tiny work, because, especially for smaller orders its STILL cheaper to just pay people to basically just be a biomechanical arm. Upgrading to win 10 when xp is already doing exactly what you need is a waste of time and resources. Unfortunately stuff like this pops up occasionally.

  • @mongster5780
    @mongster5780 7 років тому

    this made me wanna cry

  • @theshermantanker7043
    @theshermantanker7043 4 роки тому +4

    The kill switch was far from a amateur mistake. It was designed so that when the malware was being studied in a computer laboratory to find out how it worked the worm would instantly realise it was being studied and immediately terminate all of its processes

  • @entropy616
    @entropy616 7 років тому +27

    Plot twist: SciShow launched the attack just to make this video.

  • @arkcylerium3010
    @arkcylerium3010 6 років тому

    thank you scishow

  • @rapturas
    @rapturas 7 років тому +1

    I recently had an IT interview with the NHS, they assured me that it was impossible to hack their systems - I didn't get the job, but I came away laughing at them, not their patients who were the ones who really suffered.

  • @phantasm1234
    @phantasm1234 7 років тому +4

    Hey there, SciShow! I have a personal request for the topic of cerebral aneurysms! I experienced a rupture when I 19 and the suddenness and severity of them would make for a good informative video for the public! Thank you!

  • @tkzsfen
    @tkzsfen 7 років тому +4

    let me cleat something - in the industry nobody cares about the latest OS if it is practically the same and doesn't bring any benefit for the money paid. the lasers in our factory will forever run on XP, because there is no point in updating it. the software runs perfectly, so why bother?!

  • @BloonPlays
    @BloonPlays 3 роки тому

    Eternal green: *chuckles* ... I’m in danger

  • @Male_Parent
    @Male_Parent 7 років тому

    now I'm glad that I got the update yesterday.

  • @Altherix
    @Altherix 7 років тому +11

    In MARCH, Microsoft released a patch. Vast majority of machines infected by WannaCry, were Windows 7 machines still supported by Microsoft.
    Why is it, people seem to think avoiding patches is a game? Every major computer outbreak in recent times it's the same story, a patch to fix the hole/bug/exploit was released months if not years before the major exploit of it. We've gotten to the point you can no longer blame the software, it's the space between the keyboard and the chair that's the problem. (The User)
    To the argument a patch breaking your software, I'd rather deal with a scheduled software break than an unscheduled software attack.

    • @jerrycan1756
      @jerrycan1756 6 років тому

      In all cybersecurity, the user is the weakest link that one has to work around. Remember that an entire political campaign for President of the United States was sunk by a virus that a 14-year-old could make because the user was technologically illiterate.

  • @jacobcleveland1858
    @jacobcleveland1858 7 років тому +7

    they still havent released a patch for window 95 im pissed.

  • @FearBoo
    @FearBoo Рік тому

    fast and simple, thanks

  • @juliecorpuz5262
    @juliecorpuz5262 6 років тому +1

    Yay you published your vid on my birthday

  • @swirff
    @swirff 7 років тому +8

    when did this attack happen exactly?

  • @Terminalss
    @Terminalss 7 років тому +30

    "Haha take that Windows" said apple looking for its lost 300 dollar earpods

  • @JarrodCoombes
    @JarrodCoombes 7 років тому

    Microsoft actually did release a patch for Windows XP to fix the SMB bug, which kind of surprised all of us in the IT field. But there was a bug in the WannaCry code that actually stopped it from being able to infect XP.
    Also the theory about the kill switch is that it was put there in order to help the Malware detect if it was in a sand box, which would mean a security researcher was testing it. Their mistake was to not just randomize the domain name it checks (ie random characters with a .com on the end).

  • @cheesingiron3145
    @cheesingiron3145 7 років тому

    Didn't know this was happening until now

  • @Cirkustanz
    @Cirkustanz 7 років тому +144

    I'm sure thousands of people have said this, but what if they did this on purpose...just to get people to update, and to entice people to CONTINUE to update?
    And not for altruistic reasons, I mean for nefarious ones. "Mwahahahaha, we released an update that has taken all of their base, now it will belong to us!"

    • @Charmlethehedgehog
      @Charmlethehedgehog 7 років тому +8

      I mean... they can keep the bad/old software... they make updates for a reason... (also ALL YOUR BASE ARE BELONG TO US!)

    • @sirBrouwer
      @sirBrouwer 7 років тому +2

      Cirkustanz with ubuntu software run systems nothing over here got effected.

    • @yeyu8521
      @yeyu8521 7 років тому +2

      wow this had just opened my eyes

    • @lostinbago
      @lostinbago 7 років тому +5

      MS surely wouldn't take advantage of millions just for more money than God. Could that be why they stopped supporting XP one of their best systems and kept 'upgrading' to win7, win 8, Vista, Win 10. New version every couple of years and millions of users at 100 a pop and MS is the Tree that grows money.
      Now we have to be wary of upgrades, because in some cases they were adding tracking spyware to your system as part of the 'upgrade'.
      Vile company with few morals.

    • @Charmlethehedgehog
      @Charmlethehedgehog 7 років тому +2

      ^^ they're right... XP's seen the most love from MS. They were all sad they had to stop 'improving' it...

  • @diegoantoniorosariopalomin4977
    @diegoantoniorosariopalomin4977 7 років тому +171

    not for linux or bsd users

  • @mackysplace
    @mackysplace 7 років тому

    As Hank said, all the MRI machines and other such things needed specific software to run and upgrading would cost time and money and require re-calibrating which would've added long waiting times. And the Government didn't give enough funding to NHS IT departments which is so desperately needed.

  • @darkmaster9607
    @darkmaster9607 7 років тому

    The "Kill switch" was only used as a way to determine whether it was sandboxed. A sand boxing application would have returned something to the program, so it didn't get suspicious. However, knowing that it was a garbage URL, wannacry would stop in it's tracks, because it would know it was sand boxed. It wasn't a kill switch, but a clever tactic to see if it was running on a live system or sand boxed.

  • @_.M_
    @_.M_ 7 років тому +4

    This is NOT TRUE. The NHS was not up and running again within a day of the attack. Staff were sent home for days after because they could not work on the computers.

  • @kcwidman
    @kcwidman 7 років тому +5

    That URL kill switch was a bait. This was just round one. Prepare for the second wave.

    • @Namela_
      @Namela_ 6 років тому +4

      Kai Widman 2018... still waiting

    • @poncho2431
      @poncho2431 6 років тому

      ill just be extra careful

    • @redstone8513
      @redstone8513 6 років тому

      I'm responding almost a year later, and nothing yet...

    • @juhppug3873
      @juhppug3873 5 років тому

      Kai Widman
      Been over a year.. So...
      Man im really curious to see what happends next.

  • @nandorbacso4625
    @nandorbacso4625 Рік тому

    The kill switch was added to check if the malware was run on a simulated network (this is a technique often used in virtual environments by malware analysts to emulate network traffic without actually having to let the malware wander around the internet)

  • @gg-96
    @gg-96 Рік тому +1

    0:49 backups do 999999999999 damage to ransomware

  • @joshuapeacock1302
    @joshuapeacock1302 7 років тому +7

    did hank say 'only' about $100,000 that's more than some people make in 2 years

  • @porteal8986
    @porteal8986 7 років тому +4

    hospitals need to get their computers off of windows

    • @Dancingpinata-
      @Dancingpinata- 7 років тому +4

      porteal Windows is very user friendly and has a lot of software (including security related) supporting it. The larger problem is the OS version. Problem is, older, use-specific hardware such as ATMs, MRIs, gas station pumps even, are often built to be able to run the most recent OS at that time. When it was new, as long as these machines stayed up-to-date, they were secure. When they didn't have the ability (such as processing power) to upgrade, and the OS became outdated is when they became vulnerable.
      Unfortunately, this is unlikely to change. Products are often built to serve a current function, not a possible future one, to save costs. The best option is just to keep important information backed up.

  • @Euphytoseful
    @Euphytoseful 7 років тому

    "As long as you haven't rebooted your computer", that's very useful.

  • @katykat5099
    @katykat5099 6 років тому +2

    I’m a computer gamer...
    Who just happened to not be on my computer for 80% of 2017. Including those days.
    Wow. Soooo lucky.

  • @FunnyFany
    @FunnyFany 7 років тому +8

    *[overeager conspiracy theorist voice]* So NSA did WannaCry. Got it.

  • @blazemordly9746
    @blazemordly9746 7 років тому +8

    Young Brit girl: "I'm on me mum's computer...v-room v-room."
    Her mum: "Get off me computer!"
    Young girl: "Awwww."

  • @HailBytes
    @HailBytes 4 роки тому +1

    Great stuff from SciShow again. You can learn even more about how to play cyber security whack-a-mole in our new video: ua-cam.com/video/SQlfP5MsktM/v-deo.html

  • @kellyvtec
    @kellyvtec 7 років тому

    good stuff!

  • @MrBlitzpunk
    @MrBlitzpunk 7 років тому +118

    it had to be russia isnt it?

    • @seankraus5246
      @seankraus5246 7 років тому +23

      MrBlitzpunk in russa its only a cyber crime if it effects russain computers.

    • @shoujahatsumetsu
      @shoujahatsumetsu 7 років тому +38

      A few days ago it was North Korea. Today it's Russia.

    • @piranha031091
      @piranha031091 7 років тому +24

      The "shadow brokers" who leaked EternalBlue (among other hacking tools) are thought to be russian, but no one's quite sure of who actually used it to code WannaCry.

    • @livinglifeform7974
      @livinglifeform7974 7 років тому +6

      it was da russias!

    • @miguelzavaleta1911
      @miguelzavaleta1911 7 років тому +12

      MrBlitzpunk Not that weird, to be honest. Russia is a well-known state-sponsor of cybercrime (along with China and NK).

  • @tangchunhat
    @tangchunhat 7 років тому +3

    Nope.
    Lesson from this story is "Install those Leenuux and never revert to shitty proprietary OS'es again".

    • @RizkhyDestatama
      @RizkhyDestatama 7 років тому

      Tang Nhat you don't know that there are many exploit for linux, just because it doesn't leak meaning it is safe. it's NSA exploit with slight modification. linux run on servers so if that code leaks, surely the black hats will modified that code too.

    • @tangchunhat
      @tangchunhat 7 років тому +1

      When you wrote "it's NSA exploit" did you mean "it's NSA prebuiltin backdoor"? Because thats what it looks like.
      Surely linux has exploits, but mostly in third party packages (such as samba).

  • @myar4931
    @myar4931 6 років тому

    I watch this and can't help but recall how old the computer systems are on space stations and such, and it seems...worrisome...to say the least.

    • @rompevuevitos222
      @rompevuevitos222 6 років тому

      they can update the OS on space stations, so they must have done it already

  • @alexdiviney1316
    @alexdiviney1316 6 років тому

    At my dad's hospital (he works in IT, and is married to an IG manager) they shut down all of the computers, so they couldn't be infected, but then they still couldn't access the data...

  • @enobe220
    @enobe220 7 років тому +3

    I used Linux.

    • @enobe220
      @enobe220 7 років тому +1

      I do not use wine x) but true fact I guess?

    • @EQuivalentTube2
      @EQuivalentTube2 7 років тому +1

      Why would you use wine for SMB?
      Wine is being used very limited if at all. Unix already has as good general software selection as windows, so you will need wine only in very marginal cases.

    • @ClockworkRBLX
      @ClockworkRBLX 5 років тому

      @equivalent most 'free' software developed for linux and other unix OSes are extremely amateurished though. Most professional software is only available for windows and/or mac

  • @tonktruck8053
    @tonktruck8053 3 роки тому +4

    My girlfriend ransomware. I wannacry

  • @gabrielgm244
    @gabrielgm244 7 років тому

    The "killswitch" domain is a pattern used to bypass virus scans. Simply put, it's a way for the virus to know if it is executed by a sandbox (antivirus) or the OS itself. If it's a sandbox (antivirus), the virus doesn't activate and thus, bypasses it.

  • @EnzoDraws
    @EnzoDraws 7 років тому

    QUESTION: If I was attacked by a similar ransomware like half a year ago (I use Windows 7 by the way), can I still decrypt my files with those tools?